By-election in Buckingham? Bercow to be bounced?

John Bercow got the overwhelming support of the electors of Buckingham in last year's general election. They seemed satisfied with an MP who was a bit dodgy on expenses and a bit dodgy on political savvy. But then this a seat that elected the bouncing Czech Maxwell, the maverick George Walden and, in the late 1800's, Edmund Verney, who managed to get expelled from the House because he was jailed for more than a year. Verney procured the services of  girl under 21 years of age for immoral purposes. He should have waited for Harriet Harperson to come along!

Buckingham electors may need to be looking around for another MP. Not that they are clamouring to get rid of Bercow. They seem very satisfied with him. No, it's the MPs in the Commons who are desperate to be rid of their Speaker. They have been badgering the government for a vote and the government will not stand in their way now. If a vote does happen, it is more than likely that it will be curtains (or heavy drapes) for Bercow. The dechaired Speaker would not fit in well on the backbenches. Which set of backbenches? Where would he go? Would they give him a peerage or a steerage? He wouldn't last in the Commons. Far better to resign his seat and cause a by-election to occur.

Who would win in Buckingham? They've had a Labour MP who went Conservative later in a different constituency (Aidan Crawley) and a Conservative MP who had been Labour in a different constituency (Frank Markham). Another famous MP for Buckingham was John Radcliffe, the physician. He was royal physician to William and Mary. His predecessor in the job, Ralph Verney, was against William being king. The one thing Buckingham has not done is elect a shrinking violet.

John Bercow's days may be numbered but with how many numbers?

Posted in: Buckingham,by-elections,John Bercow